Labour”s leading Brexiteer explains why it MUST be a “hard” Brexit for Britain

The Labour Brexiteer warned that remaining in the single market would mean that Britain has, in fact, not answered the demands of the people – because the UK will be forced to continue making EU budget contributions and be subject to the European Court of Justice.

The 61-year-old claimed politicians such as Tony Blair and Tim Farron were attempting to prevent the departure despite the votes of over 17million people on June 23.

Ms Stuart told Express.co.uk: “There’s a combination of people who genuinely believe to Remain was the right thing to do and I absolutely honour and respect that – I just happen to disagree with them.

“Then you have a group of people who simply are change averse and think, “if we won’t do anything, then the status quo prevails”.

“Of course that was always the big fallacy of the referendum – the status quo wasn”t the option having asked for the referendum.

“And then there”s a third group – and that”s a group that I do take an argument with – who keep using other means by which to not have us leave.”

Pro-EU MPs and politicians such as Nick Clegg, Anna Soubry and Chuka Ummuna are leading a campaign to emphasise the value and importance of Britain retaining single market membership post-Brexit.

Ms Stuart continued: “They start off by saying, “but we must stay in the single market” if we stay in the single market and have no control over immigration, and still as a matter of routine pay into the budget and the European Court of Justice is still supreme – then we have not left.

“If we stay in the single market and have no control over immigration, and still as a matter of routine pay into the budget and the European Court of Justice is still supreme – then we have not left.

“Then they move on to say the customs union… What people out there want is to say, “we”ve told you what we want you to do,” and that is take back control of our borders, taxes and our laws”.

“I think now we just have to implement that.”

Ms Stuart was speaking on the same day as Brexit Secretary David Davis admitted for the first time Britain could continue to pay part of its EU budget contributions.

Responding to Labour MP Wayne David, who challenged the Tory on whether the Government would offer up UK taxpayers” money during the upcoming Brexit negotiations, he said that the “major criterion” for the Government is to get “the best possible access for goods and services to the European market”.

“If that is included in what he’s talking about then, of course, we would consider that,” he said.

Ms Stuart, who served as chair and leader of the Vote Leave campaign alongside Conservative MP Michael Gove, has predicted a change in the attitude of Remain voting politicians who are beginning to eventually acknowledge why their constituents opted for Brexit.

She said Labour colleagues John Healey and Dan Jarvis are leading the way in taking on the “big challenge” of shifting the party”s policy to reflect the mood in traditional Labour heartlands.

“I think over the next month we will get a change in the way MPs act and talk,” she said.

“Now, there are some of my colleagues – probably most notably people like Dan Jarvis and John Healey – who campaigned to Remain, but then looked at what their own constituents have done, acknowledged why their constituents voted that way and realised that the big challenge for the Labour Party is to reflect our heartlands – and our heartlands voted to leave.”